Following tradition

Heralding people’s joy and

victoriesSaadat Abdullayeva Doctor of Arts, Professor

Monuments of ancient culture, verses of classical poets, miniature art and traveler notes indicate that people in Azerbaijan have always loved to compose, sing and listen to songs, melodies and Mugham, dance accompanied by various musical instruments.

his is evidenced by the wealth indicate that the instrument de- of folk music and a variety of rives its name from the word “Sur” Tinstruments. Written sources (joy, celebration) and “Nay” (cane), dating back to the times of medi- i.e. an instrument that accompa- eval Azerbaijan contain the names nies holidays, wedding ceremonies of 32 stringed, 23 wind, 16 mem- and rites. It is not ruled out that the brane and 17 self-sounding instru- name of the instrument is based on ments [1]. Particularly distinguish- the word “Zorun”, which means a able among them is wind instru- sound produced by force. ment Zurna, which is also referred The Zurna is mentioned in to as the “Gara Zurna” (translates as the Book of Dada Gorgud, verses “Black Zurna”). This is explained by of medieval poets Gatran Tabrizi, the color of its trunk which eventu- Khagani, Shirvani, Nizami Ganjavi, ally turns black and the unusually Imadeddin Nasimi, Habibi, Ney- strong sound. Some researchers matullah Kishveri, etc. It was to the

46 www.irs-az.com Traditional Azerbaijani folk instruments, including the Zurna

Zurna tune that Azerbaijani people extensively used in ritual and cult have sent their sons to defend the music. Together with Gaval, it was motherland. In the days of peace, played in mourning rites on the there are no wedding parties, holi- Day of Ashura. It was quite wide- days, folk games, competitions, spread among the Gypsies as well. horse races or cock-fighting events The attitude to this instrument without the Zurna. The charming has manifested itself through vari- sound of the Zurna has accompa- ous proverbs: the sound of the Zur- nied processions of the groom’s na is pleasant at a distance; if you family to the house of the bride, don’t hold your girl firmly, she will while the bride and her friends marry either a Nagara (drums) or a were escorted to the bath-house. Zurna player; he who comes with the When the tune “Gelin atlandi” was Dumbul (a type of drums) will leave played, the bride got on a horse with the Zurna, etc, and sayings: to and rode to the groom’s house, play someone after putting him/her while “Seheri” (Morning) was played inside the Zurna, which means put- at the end of wedding parties. The ting someone to shame; if some- senseless and empty talk. sounds of the Zurna could be heard one’s Zurna is left for later, it means Azerbaijan is known for a num- during sport game Zorkhana, per- that the consequences of some- ber of virtuoso Zurna performers formances Jidir, Kendirbaz and Kosa one’s actions are still to come; to put whose names are passed down ve Gelin, etc. People playing the in- the Zurna in someone’s hands means from one generation to another: strument often featured at parody to give empty promises; to hang the in Karabakh Najaf Gulu, Mamed, shows (masgara). The instrument Zurna means to talk behind some- Tanriverdi, Mukhtar Maniyev, Akbar, was also played during harvesting one’s back and slander; while to Cherkez, Oruj, Balakishi, Hashim, Da- and haying seasons. The Zurna was play the Zurna means to engage in dash, Garash Allahverdiyev, Ibrahim www.irs-az.com 47 Following tradition

Iskenderov, Faraj Kalantarli, Keranali When playing, the performer among musicians as sefir sounds. Rajab, Rustam, Suleyman Zumurha- holds the Zurna in front of himself, According to senior Azerbai- cha, Guloglu Bearchina, Abdulla; in slightly tilting it downwards. The jani musicians, there were Zurnas Tovuz District Ovalara; in Ganja Tut- lips touch on the socket and the with different trunk lengths in the tek Beylar; in Lachin Bayramali; in air passing through the stick, the past. Depending on this, they were Basarkechar Majid Shikhaliyeva; in pin and the plug enters the trunk. called bash tavar (trunk length 350- the Guba-Khachmaz zone Garachi The method of sound production is 370 mm), orta tavar (300 mm, used Aga, Gulbaba, Usta Alovsat; in Shir- applied (the air is inhaled through today), jure (250 mm), orta jure (200 van Ali Karimov, Mansir Rustamov; the nose and exhaled through the mm) and ayag jure (150 mm). The in Salyan Hasan Bakhshi oglu. Their mouth), enabling a sustained and first sounded a semitone lower and performing art has been continued uninterrupted sound. Typically, the third a half step above the orta by Habibilla Jafarov, Alafsar Rahi- while playing short melodic phras- tavar Zurna. mov (Shaki), Abbas Ismayilov, Mu- es the performer breathes through Well-known wind instruments seib Abbasov, Akbar Hasanov (To- the mouth, and when playing long artist Alijavad Javadov has designed vuz), Mahammad Abbasov (Barda), compositions through the nose. two Zurna types: Zil and Bem Zurna. Mamed Mamedov (Samkir), Nuraga The lungs and the mouth cavity Due to the strong sound produced Rahmanov, Agasi Agasizadeh, Am- by the instrument, professional rah Ojagov (Davachi) , Abish Abish- musicians prefer to play the Zurna ov (Khachmaz), Ibad Ibrahimov outdoors. (Ujar), Alish Muradov (Agdam), Aga- The instrument is played as part li Aliyev (Ganja), Abdulla Gasimov of the Zurna band, which includes (Gazakh), Hasrat Huseynov, Rashid the master (who plays the melody Mamedov (Kurdamir), Izzatali Zulfu- proper) and the demkesh (who ac- garov (Gobustan), Manaf Mamedov companies the master with bour- (Salyan), Alijavad Javadov (Ismayilli) don sounds). This is where the and others. concepts of Gosha Zurna and Zu(y) It is noteworthy that when two tutmag come from. This duo is ac- US spacecraft Voyager were sent companied by percussion instru- into space in 1977 in an effort to as- ment Nagara. In Shaki zone, the certain the existence of other civi- Zurna duo is supplemented by two lizations, they carried special con- membrane instruments – the Ana tainers with golden gramophone Kos (large Nagara) and the Bala Kos records. Along with compositions (small Nagara). by Bach, Beethoven, Stravinsky, Particularly popular are Zurna Louis Armstrong, Willie Jones, etc., bands “Jangi” from Salyan (led by there was a record of an Azerbai- Manaf Mamedov) and Chirag Gala jani folk melody performed on the play the role of a “reservoir” from from Davachi (led by Nuraga Rah- Zurna [2]. which the air gradually enters the manov). “Jangi” has seven Zurnas, a Zurna is one of a handful of mu- sound channel of the instrument. Balaban and four Nagaras. sical instruments that can truly ex- Thanks to this breathing technique, In 1959, a Zurna band consisting cite the audience. This is primarily the Zurna is capable of producing of seven performers took part in a due to the structural features of the long melodic lines. campaign of Azerbaijani literature instrument. The Zurna consists of a The Zurna compass ranges from and art in Moscow. In 1962, under trunk, a plug, a pin, a stick, a socket B-flat of small octave to C of third the leadership of Alafsar Rahimov, and a cap. The high-pitched sound octave. But it can also produce C- a combined band was organized. It of the instrument is explained by sharp, D, E-flat, E, F, F-sharp, G of included five masters, five demkesh- the small diameter of the stick, the third octave. The most skilled per- es (two playing the Zurna and three presence of a pin and wide mensu- formers can produce C of fourth playing the Balaban) and three Na- ration. octave. These sounds are known gara performers.

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of the Zurna, including kaba, jura, asafi, shihabi, arabi, ajami, bakhti- yari (which differed from each other mainly by the length of their trunks), there were only large-size Zurnas (up to 400-450 mm) in the eastern Turkic world. Nowadays, the Zurna is known under the same name in also Tur- key, Iran, Georgia, Adzharia, Dag- estan, Chechnya and Ingushe- tia, Greece, Macedonia and Arab countries. In Dagestan, it is also called Zurnay (by Kumiks), Zurnau (by Laks), Zinrav (by Dargins), Sur- may (by Kubachins). In Kabardino- Balkaria it is called Nakyre or Nakira [6]. Instruments resembling the Zurna are popular in Afghanistan, Typically, the Zurna plays dance dance scenes. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kara- melodies and heroic tunes mainly Composer Javanshir Guliyev has Kalpak, where there are called Sur- associated with the name of na- composed a first play for the Zurna nay. In Egypt, they are known as tional hero Koroghlu, as well as and orchestra. The orchestra of folk Zamr and in Algeria as Zorna and marches and instrumental plays instruments highlights the tech- Gaita. The Uigur call it Sunay or that are part of traditional reper- nical and artistic capacities of the Sona, Kalmyks refer to it as Bichku toire of the instrument. Zurna through such works as Jangi and Buryats know it as bishkur. Quite unique are suites Chaha- by U. Hajibeyov, Gahramani by S. rzen Destgahi from the repertoire Rustamov, Jangi by A. Geray and References: of Zurna master Ali Karimov (1874- Jangi by S. Alasgarov. 1962). It includes dance tunes such Although the exact origin of the 1. S. Abdullayeva, Azerbaijan’s as Garabagi, Yumma Garabagi, Zurna has not been precisely es- folk instruments. Baku, 2000. Shahperde Garabagi, Bayati Gara- tablished, it is known where it has 2. S. Leskov, Are we alone in bagi, Qahramani, Mirzai, Bayazi [3], been used. The area mainly covers the Universe? // Komsomolskaya and Destgah Koroghlu performed the Turkic world, with individual Pravda, 16 January 1988. by Habibulla Jafarov (1896-1987) Zurna development centers such 3. B. Huseynli, T. Karimova, A. and consisting of the following as Anatolian, South Turkic (covering Karimov. Moscow, 1984. components: 1) Agir Koroghlu, 2), Arab countries in the times of the 4. F. Chelebi. Regs Destgahi – Shaki yallisi, 3) Koroghlunun Shaki Mamluk dynasty which descended multi-component cyclical compo- seferi, 4) Jangi Koroghlu, 5) Koroghlu from Turks and peoples of the Cau- sition of instrumental dance tunes gaytarmasi, 6) Uchbarmag, 7) Deli casus), North Turkic (including Ka- // Instruments, Third Edition, St Pe- Koroghlu [4]. zan, Chuvash and Balkan centers), tersburg, 1997. Zurna is part of the orchestra Azerbaijani, Uzbek, Kazakh, Kyrgyz 5. B Ogel. Introduction to the of folk instruments as a solo instru- and Eastern Turkestan (Mughal and history of Turkic culture, Vol. VIII, An- ment. It is also used in a symphonic Kalmyk centers) [5]. From there the kara, 1991. orchestra. Uzeyir Hajibeyov has Zurna was borrowed by neighbor- 6. K. Vertkov, G. Blagodatov, extensively used the Zurna in his ing peoples. E. Yazovitskaya. Atlas of musical in- classical opera Koroghlu. The instru- Whereas in the western Turkic struments of USSR peoples. Mos- ment usually supports heroic and world there were various types cow, 1975.

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